Bigger Barns

So I recently preached on the parable of the rich fool who had to build bigger barns for all his grain and goods.  As I was preparing for it I came across some very interesting statistics.

-         Average home size in 1970 was 1400 square feet

-         Average home size in 2009 was 2700 square feet

-         Even though the average family size has gone down by 1 during that time span.

-         In 1950 1 in a 100 homes had 2.5 baths.  Today it’s 1 in 2.

-         14 million households own 4 or more TVs

-         1 in 5 new homes are larger than 3000 square feet – the size at which it starts becoming unmanageable to clean without hired help.

-         The average cost for a luxury kitchen remodel is $57,000.  That’s $10,000 more than the average Habitat for Humanity home.

-         And finally, since 2001 the number of people who have bought second homes has increased by 24%. 

So yea, I think it’s safe to say in America we should be able to identify with the concept of bigger barns.  I hate to admit it, but my own family represents that national average when it comes to the number of TVs in our house.  We have one in the basement the kids use for their Xbox, one in our den where we often have house guests stay, so we think it’s a nice thing for them to have a TV, and the wife and I have one in our bedroom if for no other reason than the simple fact that she prefers to have noise to fall asleep to.  And finally we have one in the family room. That’s the one that gets used the most.  Did it sound like I was trying to justify having 4 TVs just now?  It should have, because I was.  But really there’s no real justification, in many ways we represent the bigger barn mentality of America just like most folks.

So does this mean that we are all a bunch of covetous sinners in America simply because we happen to have large homes and plenty of possessions?  I’m thankful to say I don’t think that’s the case.  What I found interesting is that most of the commentaries I read on this passage go straight to money and wealth and all but declare that if you are rich than you are in sin.  But if that were truly the case then most everyone in our country would be in sin by virtue of being American.  Relative to the rest of the world, there are very few Americans who are not rich.  Even our poor are rich by comparison to many other countries.  One of the other interesting statistics I came across was based on socioeconomic status; those at the poverty level in our country have the highest obesity rate.  In most countries obesity and poverty are two words that simply do not go together.  So yes, we do have a great deal of resources and possessions at our disposal, but that doesn’t mean we are all knocking on the door of Hades.  The main concern of this passage is found in verse 15 where Jesus Christ warns us to be on guard against greed and/or covetousness (depending on your translation).  Is there plenty of greed and covetousness in America?  Of course there is; but then again there’s plenty of greed and covetousness everywhere.  Its part of the sin condition in this world we live in.  Really those two vices have nothing to do with how well off you are.  As I shared this sermon with my congregation, one of my biggest warnings was to the yard sale types among us.  Many people are simply addicted to getting more; even if it’s more junk.  They covet what they don’t have.  It doesn’t have to be about the Beamers and the boats; sometimes it’s about the knick-knacks and trinkets. 

Per usual Christ gives us a great remedy for the dangers of greed and covetousness.  It’s in verse 21 of Luke 12 is a call to be rich towards God.  Yes, there’s no doubt about it, Americans are rich.  What we need to be more of, is rich towards God.  In other words, do the opposite of what the rich fool did.  Always have a thankful attitude for all that you have.  The rich fool never expresses thanks for his bumper crop, even though it came from God.  Remember to be generous with what you do have.  Needless to say, the rich fool wasn’t generous either.  It never once occurred to him to share what he had.  Part of being rich towards God means having a loose grip on our possessions, or as I’ve sometimes heard it put, we shouldn’t let our possessions possess us.  I recently got back from an amazing local mission trip to Vermont with some of the youth in our church.  That trip became very affordable for all of us when one of our members out of the blue donated his Laser sail boat to our cause.  We sold it for 2 grand on Craigslist and in addition to some other fund raising that made it so all the parents had to pay was their initial 60 dollar deposit.  What an absolute blessing that was; all because someone had a loose grip on his possession.  How is God calling you to be rich towards God?  It might mean giving something away, or it might mean giving some of your time to him in some kind of ministry or service.  Just remember, whether it’s time, talent, or treasures, if you profess Jesus Christ as your Savior, all that you have is His.  And the more you give it in richness towards Him, the more blessed you will be.